Curry-rubbed Tilapia

As you may have noticed, tilapia has become my new favorite fish.  I buy it IQF from my local restaurant supply store, so it's cheap, quick and easy.  The only problem I've had is seasoning it properly  I call it the tofu of fish, not because of the texture but because it takes on the flavors of anything you cook it with.  It has virtually no flavor of it's own, so you REALLY have to season it.  That isn't an issue with this recipe... it turned out MARVELOUS!!  This is probably my new favorite way of cooking it!  If you've never tried tilapia before, you really must.


Curry-rubbed Tilapia

4 4-6 oz. tilapia fillets
2 T. curry powder
1/2 t. cayenne
1 t. kosher salt
cooking spray
mango chutney (commercial or homemade)

Combine seasonings in a small bowl.  Rub curry mixture generously on both sides of fillets.  Let stand about 15 minutes.  Spray large non-stick frying pan and heat over medium-high until almost smoking.  Add fillets and cover.  Cook for 3-4 minutes.  Turn, cover and cook until fish flakes easily, about another 3-4 minutes.  Top with one tablespoon of chutney.

160 calories per serving (one fillet)


Indian Spiced Spinach

1 16 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, unthawed
1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 large jalapenos, seeded, ribbed and finely chopped
2 T. ginger root, finely minced
2 t. ground coriander
1 t. cumin
1 t. turmeric
1/2 t. cayenne
1 t. kosher salt
3/4 C. plain non-fat yogurt, strained (I use Greek style... it's already strained)

In a large saute pan, cook onion, garlic, jalapenos and ginger in oil over medium heat until onions are translucent.  Add seasonings and cook until fragrant, about another 2 minutes.  Stir in spinach and cover.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is tender, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.

Make about 3 6 oz. servings.  95 calories per serving.


Served with a one cup portion of basmati rice, this meal totals 494 calories.  I made it with white basmati because that's what I had, but the next time I replenish I'm going to get brown basmati.

My better than "copycat" recipe for Applebee's Dijon Chicken and Portobellos

We were stuck in Bellevue one evening around dinnertime and needed food.  Applebee's seemed to be the best compromise, so that's where we ended up.  Fortunately they have a "550 Calories or Less" menu, which I knew had to be deciphered!!  Some of the entire meals were less than 550 calories... some of them were just the meats... and people wonder why food confuses them!!!

Wonder no more, my loves... this entire meal is less than 600 calories per serving if you make it exactly the way I do!

Vicki's Version of Applebee's Dijon Chicken and Portobello

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 oz. each)
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 C. Dijon mustard
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. olive oil

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a gallon size ziplock bag.  Shake well to mix.  Add chicken breasts, making sure they are thoroughly coated.  Squeeze out as much air as possible and refrigerate  for at least 3 hours (or overnight).

1 red bell pepper
1 8 oz. package whole crimini mushrooms, cleaned
1/2 red onion

Preheat grill.  Grill vegetables (using a grill grid if desired) until they are crisp-tender.



Remove and cool.  Dice and place together in a bowl.



Remove chicken from marinade and grill until cooked through, about 8 minutes per side.  Keep warm.

To assemble, place each chicken breast on an oven-proof serving plate.  Top with about 1/2 C. of mushroom/pepper/onion mixture.  Sprinkle with about 2 T. freshly grated asiago cheese.  Broil just until cheese is melted and slightly browned.



Serve with 1 C. of microwave steamed potatoes (plain) and 2 C. steamed mixed veggies (couple spritzes of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray).

Microwave Steamed Potatoes

I was at a loss as to how Applebees cooked their "steamed" potatoes.  They were obviously seasoned with salt and the texture wasn't exactly like any steamed potato I'd had before.  I finally figured it out... they're microwaved!  These ones taste and feel exactly like the ones in the restaurant.  In this picture I used a mix of purple and Yukon gold potatoes.

1 lb. waxy potatoes of your choice (red, gold, white, purple)
1/2 C. water
1 t. kosher salt

Cut potatoes into 1/2" dice.  Place potatoes, water and salt in microwave-safe bowl.  Cover and cook on high for 4 minutes.  Stir, re-cover, and cook for another 4-6 minutes until tender.  Let stand 5 minutes, drain and serve.

Parmesan Broiled Tilapia

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 T butter, softened
1/4 C mayonnaise
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 t dried basil
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t paprika
1/4 C panko
Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 lbs. tilapia fillets
Directions

Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper and onion powder.  Add panko, mix well and set aside.
Sprinkle both sides of fish with Old Bay. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Amount Per Serving (one fillet) Calories: 225 | Total Fat: 12.8g | Cholesterol: 63mg



Shown served with cooked spinach seasoned with salt, pepper and red wine vinegar, and brown rice pilaf.

Panko coated tilapia filets

For three servings-

3 5 oz. tilapia fillets, thawed
salt, pepper, and garlic powder
1/2 C low fat buttermilk
3/4 C. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/3 C. freshly grated Romano cheese
2 t. dried basil
butter flavored cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pour buttermilk into shallow bowl.  Mix panko, cheese, and basil in a pie plate (or something similar).  Season fillets with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Coat with buttermilk, letting excess drain off.  Coat with panko mixture and place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Spray tops of fillets lightly with cooking spray.  Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

Serve each fillet with 1 C. of steamed brown rice or whole wheat pasta and 2 C. steamed or raw vegetables.

No sauce!!!  A spritz or two of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray and pepper are okay though!

Cooking within the confines of an Isagenix weight loss program

You may have noticed that my posts have dropped off lately.  About three weeks ago, my beloved Brian started the Isagenix program for weight loss.  Truth is, he has a lot of weight to lose (as do I).  We decided that since he has more weight to lose than me, he would start using the Isagenix products and I would just start cooking within his regimen and making myself exercise more.

He has been doing very well.  He lost nearly 20 lbs. in the first two weeks and, more importantly, 13.25 inches of overall body measurements.  I'm so proud of him!

I'm not so proud of myself though.  Even though I have become extremely creative in making him approximately 600 calorie dinners every night, there are two nights where he fasts... which means I am left to my own devices.  We have a 13 yr. old daughter who eats like... a 13 yr. old... and trying to find something that we can both compromise on those nights gets hairy.  She wants fatty greasy food... I want fatty greasy food after eating low cal/fat all week... the temptation gets to be too much.  I cave and we go out.  I end up spending $40 for just the two of us and none of it is good.

I am hoping that going public with my lack of restraint will cause me to have more of it.

In the time that I have been cooking for Brian's new lifestyle, I have come up with several recipes that can be combined into dinners that total around 600 calories.  He says they're fantastic, but hey... when anyone hasn't eaten real food in a couple of days, an old shoe tastes fantastic, right?  lol!!  Seriously, I will be posting the best of my "600 Calorie or Less" dinner menus as my next few posts.  I hope you try them... please let me know if you do and how you liked them.

Social Bar and Grill

1715 Dock Street
Tacoma, WA, 98402
253-301-3835

Located at street level in the Thea's Landing Condominium building, right next door to the Museum of Glass.  Parking is available on the street after 5:00 PM, and there is also garage parking.  Meeting the girls there for dinner, I parked on the street and entered on the side closest to MOG.  The first thing I thought before I even entered the restaurant was "Why didn't I bring my camera?"  In the dark, there is a stunning view of the outdoor sculptures at MOG, along with the 21st street bridge and the Foss Waterway itself... all lit up.  We sat at a table next to the floor-to-ceiling windows and enjoyed the view throughout our dinner.  Our waitress was very friendly and prompt.  I had been studying their online menu all day, so I had already narrowed down what I wanted to two choices... either the 1/2 lb. beef bacon cheddar burger or the bacon pasta carbonara.  I went with the burger, my friend Kim went with the pasta, and Mary had the beer tempura cod.  Our orders arrived quickly and I soon ascertained I had made the right choice.  My burger was awesome.  Topped with caramelized onions, cilantro sprigs, a nice slab of roasted red bell pepper, a large slice of raw jalapeno on a fresh brioche bun with chili-garlic aioli on the side, it was drip-down-your-elbows good.  I was glad they served the aioli on the side, as there was plenty left over to dip my fries in.  I did remove the jalapeno, but that was only because I just wasn't in the mood for that much heat.  I traded bites with Kim, and although the bacon pasta carbonara was good, it wasn't nearly as good as my burger.  I do have to say there was a LOT of bacon in her dish, so I gave it extra points just for that.  I didn't taste Mary's cod, but she said it was kind of meh... nothing extraordinary.

Unfortunately we were there during full price hours.  Their happy hour menu looks like it would be something to get excited about... small plate dishes for whatever you happen to be craving, and nothing over $5.00.  Happy hours are from 4-6 PM and 10 PM- midnight.  I was delighted they carried my favorite beer (Manny's from Georgetown Brewery), but disappointed they don't serve it in pitchers or have the growlers on special for happy hour.  Can't have everything, I guess.

Overall we had a great time and I hope Social doesn't burn out quickly like the previous two restaurants in this spot have.  Hopefully we'll get back there soon... with camera in hand.

North Hill Produce Company

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UPDATE FOR 2012 SEASON-

Unfortunately (for us), Derek and Heather have moved to a new location in Buckley.  Not all is lost though!  The have found a new owner to take over who they believe shares their commitment to local products and quality produce.  I will update this post when I get more information about the new owners and also have a completely new post about Derek and Heather's place in Buckley when they open!  Thanks for being such a great addition to our neighborhood, guys!  We'll miss you!

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2010 Meridian Avenue E.
Edgewood, WA 98371

Hours-
Mon.-Sat.:  9:00 AM- 7:00 PM
Sunday- 10:00 AM- 6:00 PM




Derek and Heather Muirhead are the most recent people to take over this fixture of the Edgewood community.  Over the years, it has changed ownership more times than I can count, with varying success.  Derek and Heather seem to know their stuff, and I hope they continue to be the providers of fresh, quality produce to our neighborhood for years to come!



Although this year was a particularly bad spring and summer weather-wise, the Muirheads did their best to procure local fruits and veggies while in their prime, and made sure everyone who was interested knew about it by sending direct emails and posting updates on their Facebook page.





They have a great variety of produce, and only keep it in stock during it's prime season.  Once it's gone, it's gone... so you better take advantage of their great quality and prices while you can.



Although these photos were taken at the beginning of August, they still have fantastic corn on the cob, nectarines, peaches, and tomatoes, and they are now starting to get new crop apples!







You can't miss their great variety of potted flowers and hanging baskets, and they also carry other items such as local honey.



Even though it's getting to be the end of the season for many items, they still have lots of variety to choose from.  Stop in SOON, check everything out, and sign up for their email list!

At last... summer!

It took until September to get here, but I finally got my hands on some tomatoes worthy of making my favorite summer treat...

Caprese salad!!!!

Vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic reduction, salt and pepper... viola.  Summer on a platter.  It doesn't get any better than this!

2011 - The Year of the Doughnut

I've always loved doughnuts... a lot.  However, until this year, I have never actively sought them out.  It just seems to be ones of those food themes that just fell into place for some reason.  Wherever I went, there was some legendary doughnut place nearby that I was required to check out.  I'm not talkin' 'bout no Krispy Kreme... I'm talkin' legit local motion.  In the past six months I have been to the top three doughnut shops in the Pacific Northwest, and I do have to say I have proclaimed a winner.

Yes, there was a contest... whether you knew it or not.

IN THIRD PLACE-



Top Pot Doughnuts
http://www.toppotdoughnuts.com/

Their main claim to fame seems to be their ability to spread the scent of frying dough throughout downtown Seattle and make certain Seahawk players break into their establishment after hours.  Other than that, their doughnuts are actually quite mediocre.

IN SECOND PLACE-
Voodoo Doughnuts (including Voodoo Too), Portland, OR
http://voodoodoughnut.com/index.php





Claim to fame- they've been mentioned on Food Network and had an adequate bacon maple bar... not that I would know.  I stood in line for 20 minutes on a 90 degree day just to get inside.  Once inside, we asked if there were still BMBs available... we were assured there were.  30 minutes later when we actually got to the counter, they were sold out.  To say that I was disappointed is the understatement of the year.  I ordered the Boston Creme and had bites of everyone else's doughnuts... they were average at best.

I thought the year of doughnuts was over and done with... UNTIL...

Patrick Marshall posted something on his Facebook.

I've known Pat since at LEAST 10th grade (1977 for those of you who are counting).  I had never even heard of Legendary Doughnuts until one morning a couple weeks ago when he posted a photo on his Facebook wall.  There was a bacon maple bar... half the size of his keyboard... I thought it was an illusion.

I Googled the name, hoping it was some obscure shop in the Issaquah highlands...

Much to my dismay, it is a shop not 10 minutes from my house.  All the clothes in my closet groaned in a collective sigh of pain... and off I drove.



Legendary Doughnuts is located at 1410 Lake Tapps Parkway East... the maps will tell you Auburn, people will tell you Lake Tapps or Lakeland.  It's in the shopping center at the top of the hill.

Less than one hour after determining it's location, I was walking in the front door.  As I assessed the case, the employee du jour approached.







I asked if he would mind if I took some pictures for my blog, and he said that was fine.

I snapped one of the interior...



 
I then said I would need some samples and he got this weird look.

I said "Get a box.  I'll have two of those... two of those... two of those... oh and a couple of those..."



Apple Fritter... buttermilk bars...



Twix bar, blueberry cake doughnuts...



Lake Tapps doughnut, Sex in the Citys, and a couple of Oprahs...



I left a happy camper...



Miko enjoyed her Lake Tapps doughnut...



and my Oprah was beyond excellent....



I told the guy who was working the shop I was doing a comparison and contrast piece of local doughnut shops, but there really is no comparison.  Legendary Doughnuts IS legendary, and there is no comparison.

End of story.

http://www.legendarydoughnuts.com/

Marrow Kitchen Bar

UPDATE 8/24/16-
Marrow is now permanently closed.


Marrow Kitchen Bar
2717 6th Ave
Tacoma, WA 98406
(253) 267-5299
Hours- 4:00 PM-2:00 AM, Tuesday-Saturday
Closed Sunday and Monday
21 years and over

Back in the day, when I first moved out of my parents home, one of the places I lived was a house down on 6th and Trafton in Tacoma. At that time, the neighborhood was kind of rundown and seedy... lots of empty storefronts, and the businesses that were open weren't the kind of place you really wanted to go as a young adult.  After living there for a couple of years, my then husband and I moved north and never really paid the old 'hood much mind.

Nearly 30 years later, a great revitalization has turned this neighborhood into a trendy place to eat, drink, and have fun into the wee hours... hours that we wouldn't have been caught dead wandering around back then.  Part of the rejuvenation is due to a restaurant that I've been waiting for months to open... Marrow Kitchen Bar.  If you read this blog at all, you know I started posting about it as soon as I heard it would exist.  Brian and I were finally able to eat there on Friday, August 19th.

We stopped on our way through Tacoma, headed out to our ten day vacation at the lake.  Since I wasn't exactly sure if we would be leaving Thursday or Friday, I didn't make a reservation.  That was almost a big mistake.  We walked in at about 6:45 and the place was packed.  Fortunately for us, a table opened up right as we got there (if we were to plan dinner on a Friday or Saturday in the future, I would definitely call ahead).  Our table was basically in the middle of the place, so we had a good view of everything going on.  The space is open and inviting, whether you're a large group or it's just the two of you.  I wish I would have taken more photos of the space itself, but it was quite busy and I didn't want to distract the other diners with my flash.  I particularly liked the "wall" of clear glass bottles separating the entry from the dining room and the clusters of bare light bulbs creating "chandeliers".



 Although it could get quite noisy at times, we attributed that mostly to the acoustics of the room.  It was never uncomfortably loud... it was just the sound of good friends having a good time.

One of the things Marrow is known for is their craft cocktails.  As much as we wanted to try several of them, we stuck with our favorite beer and focused on the food, which is locally sourced whenever possible.  The other thing is their distinct separation of meat and vegetarian menus, to the point of actually giving each menu a separate name... meat dishes are on the Marrow menu... flip it over and vegetarian dishes are on the Arrow menu.  We ordered from both.

We walked in with basically no budget, just ordering anything and everything that looked good.  The one thing that I had long-before decided I must have was the oxtail cake topped with fried duck egg.



I had heard several times it was something spectacular, and it definitely did not disappoint.  Garnished with micro greens, carrot slices, and crispy fried basil, it is an unctuous, succulent, nearly decadent thing to behold.  I drool just thinking about it.  The tender shreds of beef are bathed in a rich demi and the duck egg yolk oozes perfection... literally.  It may have been my favorite dish of the night.

The other appetizer we ordered was the Oregonzola-stuffed fried squash blossoms...



Another beauteous creation.  Generous bites of tangy bleu cheese stuffed inside squash blooms, lightly breaded and fried, topped with a spice orange aioli.

Next we had the watermelon salad...



After the richness of the first two dishes, it was an excellent next course.  Juicy chunks of watermelon over a bed of arugula dressed with a cherry balsamic vinaigrette, topped with crumbles of chevre and a dollop of pistachio butter.  I could eat it all day.

For my entree I ordered the scallops.  They were seared perfectly medium rare, served on a mound of quinoa with carrot jus, with a shaved fennel and celery salad, all sprinkled with black sea salt...



I recently heard someone on TV mocking restaurant ads where people close their eyes because the food is so good.  They said something to the effect of "Does anyone REALLY do that?"  Let me tell you... yes I did.

Brian ordered the seared duck breast with rhubarb/tamarind sauce, yukon gold puree, and broccolini, garnished with pistachio dust...



I'm not a fan of duck, but I figured if there was ever a place that would do it right and convert me, it would be Marrow.  I had one bite from the end and it was... okay.  Far better than the gamey, greasy fowl I'd always had in the past, but nothing that would make me order it again.  Then... he handed me a bite with the seasoned skin still on it.

Okay.  I was wrong about duck.  It was awesome.

For dessert, Brian ordered the french vanilla ice cream with fresh peach sauce and hazelnuts...



I ordered the brownie with raspberry chipotle sauce...



My sauce seemed to be missing, but I didn't really care at that point.  The whole meal experience was borderline epic, and we were happy.  The waitstaff are wonderful.  Our server was attentive without hovering, and our meal was perfectly paced, especially considering how busy they were at the time.  Co-owner Jamie Jones came by our table several times to make sure everything was okay.  We can't wait to go back for their late night happy hour (10:00 PM to 2:00 AM)... I've heard tell of special menus and reduced price drinks...

THE CAKE IS NOT A LIE!

There's a reason I don't buy a lot of bananas in the summer. They get ripe fast... really fast. They attract fruit flies... nay, they IMPORT fruit flies. My go-to overripe banana recipe is banana bread, and as much as we love it, it's not really a summer-friendly recipe. So I try to not have bananas around...

That didn't work so well this week. I ended up with several pounds of bananas, and Brian won't eat them past a certain point. Even though I kept them under a food net on the counter, the fruit fly population was still doubling by the hour (I AM NOT EXAGGERATING!!). This morning I woke up and knew something had to be done about the banana situation. After some brief contemplation, exploration of the cupboards, and adaptation of recipes I'd made in the past, I came up with this cake. Fortunately it was in the low 70s today, so having the oven on for an hour wasn't unbearable. People not living in cooler climes will probably want to wait for fall to try this. It is definitely worth the wait!!



Banana Pineapple Cake

3 1/2 C. cake flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 C. sugar
1. t. salt
1 1/4 C, vegetable oil
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
2 t. vanilla
3 eggs
2 C. VERY ripe bananas (4-5), gently mashed (I use a pastry blender and leave some nice chunky pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a standard size (12 C.) bundt pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Add oil, pineapple, vanilla, eggs, and banana, Stir gently until combined, then mix by hand until well blended. Pour into bundt pan and bake for about 1 hour or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool completely. Ice with vanilla glaze.



(notice that by using a bundt pan you are also utilizing aperture science... )




Vanilla Glaze

1 1/2 cups confectioners's sugar
1 T. milk
1/8 t. salt
2 t. vanilla extract
1 T. butter

Melt the butter and add to rest of ingredients. Mix until creamy. Place cake on wire rack over rimmed pan, slowly pour glaze over until cake is coated. Let stand until set.




This is a wonderfully moist delicious cake you can garnish several ways (or not at all). One thing I was thinking of was a banana split cake... a slice of this cake garnished with strawberry slices, a drizzle of hot fudge sauce, and a marachino cherry or two. Enjoy!!

Too... much... STUFF!!!

I've been going to the grocery store too often.  Every time I go, I always end up getting items that are not on my list, thinking "Oh this is a good price!  I'll use it for something..."  Fortunately I don't often do that with fresh produce, but when I came home from the store yesterday, I had no room to put anything.  The freezer is full... the fridge is full... the cupboards are full... what the heck am I doing buying more stuff???  My personal challenge for this week is to not buy ANYTHING new from the store (well, I'm going to have to buy milk because we're almost out, but other than that...).  Each day I will look in the fridge, freezer, and cupboard, type some ingredients into Google, and see what we're having for dinner that night.  Sounds like fun to me!

I will add to this post each day, detailing which ingredients I used and what I made.

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Day One- selected ingredients:



Canned bamboo shoots, coconut milk, red bell pepper, Thai basil, green curry paste, frozen green beans, fish sauce, shallots, linguini, crimini mushrooms, chicken thigh fillets, lime juice, green onions... other assorted ingredients not pictured, such as chicken broth, cornstarch, seasonings, etc.

What I'm making- Thai Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

1- 8 oz. can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1- 13.5 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 large red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 C. Thai basil, sliced into strips
1 T. green curry paste (or more to taste)
1 1/2 C. frozen green beans
2 T. nam pla (fish sauce)
1/4 C. chopped shallots
1 C. sliced crimini mushrooms
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" cubes
2 T. fresh lime juice (the juice I'm using is frozen juice I squeezed myself when I bought a large bag of limes)
3 green onions, sliced
1 T. cornstarch
1 C. chicken broth
2 t. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. linguini (or long thin pasta of your choice)

Directions-

Stir coconut milk and curry paste in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until curry paste dissolves, about one minute.  Combine chicken broth and cornstarch in a small bowl until cornstarch is dissolved.  Add to skillet and stir until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium and add chicken, fish sauce and lime juice.  Simmer about 2 minutes.  Add bell pepper, basil, shallots, mushrooms, green beans, green onions, bamboo shoots and sugar.  Simmer until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions until al dente.  Taste sauce for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if desired.  Drain pasta, return to pot, add sauce and toss to coat.



This was PHENOMENAL!!!

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Today we have to run out to the cabin.  It's not far, but it will be later in the afternoon when I would normally be prepping and cooking dinner.  What to do??  I didn't want to "cheat" on my challenge by going out to dinner, so out comes the trusty Crock Pot!!

Day two- Mexican pulled pork soft tacos, black beans and rice, homemade guacamole... too many ingredients to photograph...



Mexican Pulled Pork (carnitas) for tacos

Ingredients-

3-4 lb. pork loin
1- 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1- 7 oz. can diced green chiles, undrained
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C. cider vinegar
1 t. Tapatio sauce
2 T. cumin
1 T. chili powder
1 T. smoked paprika
2 t. oregano
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. fresh ground black pepper
about 1/2 C. water

Set slow cooker to high.  Place first 7 ingredients in cooker, stir around.  Mix next 7 ingredients together in small bowl, pour over meat and stir.  Add a little more water if needed to cover meat with liquid.  Cook on high until liquid starts to simmer, then turn to low and cook until meat is fall-apart tender (time will depend on size of roast, brand of slow cooker, etc.).  Remove meat and liquid from cooker.  Skim as much fat as possible from liquid, place in small saucepan, and boil to reduce by about half.*  Meanwhile, shred meat with two forks.  Return meat to cooker, add reduced cooking liquid until meat is moistened.  Keep cooker on low until read to serve.

*NOTE-  I ended up not reducing the cooking liquid.  It was plenty flavorful and seasoned enough just straight out of the cooker.  You will have a lot of liquid left over.  Save it and use it to cook rice or something else... it's too full of spicy porky goodness to just throw away!!!


Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients-

1 T. olive oil
2 C. cooked rice
1- 14 oz. can black beans, drained
1 med. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C. green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 C. frozen corn
2 t. cumin
1 t. coriander
1 t. chili powder
1 t. salt
1 t. Tapatio sauce
1/4 C. cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in large skillet.  Saute onion, green pepper and garlic until soft.  Add corn, cumin, coriander, chili powder and salt; cook and stir for about one minute.  Add Tapatio, tomato, rice and beans; cook and stir until heated through and desired consistency.  Stir in cilantro just before serving.





Homemade Guacamole

4 large, very ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and coarsely mashed (I use a pastry blender)

juice of half a large lime

large clove garlic, mashed

large pinch of kosher salt

2-3 T. very finely chopped sweet onion

1/4 C. very finely chopped cilantro

1/2 t. cumin

few dashes hot sauce (I use Tapatio)

1 large roma tomato, very finely diced

Combine all ingredients.

Condiments for tacos-



Cheddar cheese, shredded cabbage, guacamole, sour cream.

Assemble on a large flour tortilla, heated in the microwave for about 25 seconds.



Serve with black beans and rice.



Nommmmmmmmmm...



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Day three- reinventing the leftovers.

Today I have all the leftovers from yesterday... the shredded pork, the saved cooking liquid, the black beans and rice... plus a package of large corn tortillas and some colby jack cheese.


 

ENCHILADAS!

For the sauce, strain the solids from the cooking liquid, saving both.



Puree the solids with a hand blender, food processor, or regular blender (I used my Braun).



Add back to liquids and stir in about 2 T. of cornstarch.  Heat over medium, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened.  Set aside.

In a medium frying pan, heat about 1/2" of vegetable oil over medium heat and briefly fry tortillas until softened but firm around the edges, about 10 seconds each side.



Drain and blot off excess oil with paper towels.  Set aside until all tortillas are fried.  

Pour enough sauce into a 9"x 13" baking dish to coat bottom.

In a large bowl, combine leftover shredded park and about 6 oz. of grated cheese.  Place filling on tortillas and roll. 



Place filled tortillas tightly in dish.



Top with remaining sauce and more cheese.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.  Removed from oven and let stand about 10 minutes.



I had initially intended to use the black beans and rice as part of the filling, but there was plenty enough pork left over to fill them all.  We decided to just have it as a side dish again.



The sauce was the best enchilada sauce I've ever had, and the whole meal was just different enough from last night to make it not repetitive.  This will be my "next day" meal whenever I make carnitas from now on!!

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Day four- selected ingredients:



Salmon fillet, jarred pesto, red potatoes, bits of assorted cheeses (neufchatel, bleu, romano), frozen haricot vert green beans, shallot, slivered almonds, bacon, and assorted mixed greens for salads.  I fried up actual bacon for the beans, but I thought the jar of bits looked better than just a slab of meat for the photo... lol!

What I'm making- Pesto grilled salmon, haricot vert almondine, and bits-of-leftover-cheeses smashed red potatoes.




No recipes tonight because it's all pretty simple and self explanatory.  If you have any questions about anything I made, just ask and I'll be happy to tell you!  It was pretty sad that I had to turn on the porch light to see what I was grilling... at 7:00 PM... in the middle of July... when it should be all bright and sunny out... where the heck is our summer????

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Day Five-  selected ingredients:



Take a guess at what we had...



CHILI DOGS AND COLESLAW!!  It kills me every time, yet I continue to go back.  I did grill the dogs instead of boiling them this time, and that was a nice change.  I don't know WHY I bought that huge package of polish dogs just for us.  It was one of those times when I fell victim to a spectacular sale.  I cooked up three of them for dinner, saved four in a ziplock bag in the fridge, and put the remaining seven in the freezer.  We'll eventually get about four meals out of the package.  Not bad for $3.79!!

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Day Six- selected ingredients:



Corn on the cob, polenta, romano cheese, chicken breasts (and marinade ingredients), chicken broth, salad greens...

What I'm making:  Dijon marinated grilled chicken breasts with fresh grilled corn polenta.

Dijon Marinated Grilled Chicken


1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 C. Dijon mustard
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C. olive oil


Combine everything except chicken in small bowl.  Place chicken and marinade in gallon ziplock bag, squeezing out as much air as possible.  Marinate at least 3 hours or overnight.  


Preheat grill to medium.  Grill chicken, turning once, until cooked through (about 8 minutes each side).  Let rest 5 minutes, slice and serve over polenta.



Fresh Grilled Corn Polenta


1/2 C. chopped onion
2-3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 t. olive oil
4 C. chicken broth
1 C. polenta
1 T. butter
1/2 C. freshly grated romano cheese
fresh ground black pepper to taste
3 ears of corn, grilled and cut off cob




Grill, cool, and cut corn.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a 2 qt. stovetop and oven safe casserole (Le Cruset, Emerilware, etc), saute onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.  Add chicken broth and bring to boil.  Slowly whisk in polenta.  Cover and cook in oven, stirring every 10 minutes, until polenta is thick and creamy (about 30 minutes).  Remove from oven and stir in butter, romano, pepper, and corn.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Stir again and serve.



omg this was SO GOOD!!  I normally treat my polenta almost like grits... lots of butter and cheese.  Adding the grilled corn was a brilliant idea!  I will definitely be making this again!


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For Day Seven, we had leftovers.  They were starting to take over the fridge and it still counts, as I did not do any shopping.  I could continue on with this for several more days, but I really need to restock fresh produce and...

...I am craving breakfast for dinner.  I need to go buy sausage and orange juice today.

I hope this little project inspired you to take a good, hard look at what you have laying around, think of some possible food combinations you haven't tried before, and maybe save some money and time.  I had fun doing it!